Some questions are difficult to ask
by Alex Took
Summary: The lovable little scottish doctor wants to ask Laura Cadman on a date, but is harder than it seems. All day long he stalls, and then...falls?


The strawberry blonde strand of hair swayed slowly as she breathed. Her green eyes scanned the pages of her novel. She had remained like this for several minutes, or maybe yet a half hour. He didn't know how long he had been pacing, he hoped he was out of view for her to see him. Every time he looked over at her he felt butterflies wiggling about in his stomach. Seven times he had gotten up and the down from his seat. Although she didn't look up once from her pages to notice his presence. Which he was glad about for he must have looked rather strange pacing, sitting, murmuring to himself. He still didn't know who it was that had kissed him, McKay or Cadman. Yet he pleaded that it was Cadman. Whether he did fancy her or not, I think he would hope it was the female of the two.

He didn't know why it was such a difficult task for him to ask her a simple question. She would say yes or no. Very simple. But yet so not. One of his excuses for not asking her in the past thirty minutes was he didn't know what day of the week to have dinner on. A very weak excuse. He mumbled to himself several times over and over, repeating different ways to ask. Every time that he would say a version that seemed worse than the last, he bopped himself on the head and insulted himself. One of those times had just occurred when Lt. Col. John Sheppard happened to be walking by.

"You alright?" He gave him a pat on the back, his lunch tray in his other hand.

"Oh dear! You startled me!"

"A little deep in thought?"

"Yes, a tad."

"Thinking about what?" He smirked a little noticing him glancing back and forth at Cadman.

"Oh um…nothing really." Beckett looked over at him.

"Alrighty, well I'm going to go eat, wanna join me?"

"Oh, no. Thanks I've already eaten."

"Okay, I'll leave you to your thoughts," He gave him a smile and left.

Laura remained slowly turning the pages of her book, like she had been for awhile. Beckett gave up and returned to the infirmary since his lunch break was over.

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"Come on Rodney, its just one shot!"

"Just one shot, just one shot! How about I give you just one shot! Why don't I start poking you with needles for a change?"

"I'm sorry Rodney you've got to be an official doctor." He gave him a smile as he injected the liquid into his arm.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Rodney winced and bit his lip.

"Now that wasn't so bad. Alright now send in the next patient in."

"Yeah and I'll give them a warning too, 'Abusive Doctor!"

"Right lad just go on." McKay took a step off the bed and walked out the door. Beckett heard him 'warning' the next patient. He heard a woman's voice answer an "okay I'll watch out." Beckett checked off McKay and read "Laura Rose Cadman" as the next patient.

"Hey Carson,"

"Oh, hello Laura," He looked up at her as she sat down on the bed.

"So what am I hear for? I swear I didn't punch Billy in the face my hand 'slipped'!"

"Oh I think you've got the wrong office, the principle is down the hall,"

"I love your humor," she laughed a little and looked over at the needles.

"I have to get a shot do I?"

"Sorry, yes, and I hope you aren't as stubborn as my last patient. It took me ten minutes to give Rodney his. But I'm sure he doesn't want that getting around the city, but it could be a good laugh.

"Trust me I know how stubborn he is. It was hard enough to get in control of his brain."

"Yes that must have been an…interesting experience."

"Yeah, a complete nightmare really."

"Alright well let's get down to business. There's a virus that has been discovered here that I'm not sure how risky it is, but just in case its life threatening."

"I'll trust your opinion,"

"Alright you ready?"

"Do I get a lollypop?"

"Sure if you like, I've actually got some." He pulled out a small bag of Dum Dums.

"Ohhhh, do you have sour blue raspberry?"

"Um…" He dug around in the bag. "Here you can find it," she began rummaging in the bag.

"Here we go," he wiped off a patch of her arm and then injected it. Within seconds the needle was out of her flesh.

"Aha," she pulled out a blue wrapped lollypop and unwrapped it.

"Alright now send in my next patient."

"Thanks for the lolly," She gave him a smile and began to suck on her blue lollypop. Beckett sighed in relief for he hoped he didn't seem too nervous. He wanted to ask her then, but he was too reluctant to. He finished off his day of work with two dozen or so more shots and then headed out to the balcony. He looked at his watch and said it was quarter passed five. He sighed because what he wanted to accomplish by now had not been done. Every time he saw her he wanted to ask, it wasn't even a big deal, just every time he opened his mouth to ask, it was like someone cut his vocal cords. He couldn't use the "day of the week" problem anymore. He decided to ask her out for tomorrow. So he was going to do it now. He turned around and walked inside the city again and started to stroll halls and head to his room. And if he passed her then he would ask her, and if he didn't, well he that'd be another excuse to wait till tomorrow. He walked down the hall and took of his lab coat and slung it on his shoulder. He wanted to get a little relaxation before dinner at seven.

As he headed down the halls approaching a stairway he repeated in his mind what and how he would ask her.

"So Laura, I thought if you wanted we could-no, no, Hey hows it going? Well I was wondering if-" Right then he began to speak aloud and Cadman happened to be waling by at that second. Although Beckett had not noticed and remained starring at the ground and then he finished his sentence accidentally aloud and not in a mumble.

"Would you like to go eat dinner with me tomorrow night?" Cadman paused in mid-step. For she thought he must have been too intrigued in his own thoughts to notice her, which he was. As he finished his sentence he noticed that he could hear his own voice loud and clear, and noticed Lt. Cadman standing beside him. He looked up and was so startled he jumped and had indeed approached the stairway by then. He rolled down it, bonking his head every other step. He heard a faint "Carson" as he fell. Cadman followed him downstairs as he rolled.

"Oh…for the love of-Laura? Oh hello."

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yes, I think so." He rubbed his head and sat up. Cadman kneeled beside him and tucked a strand of hair behind hear ears. Beckett felt like his face was as red as a tomato, he had just asked out Laura without meaning to, and then fell down a flight of stairs. She definitely wouldn't go out with out with a Scottish Klutz like him now.

"Are you sure you're okay? You took quite a….roll…I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, don't worry love, it was me I was just…"

"What did you say up there? I think I could piece together some of what you were saying, but I didn't know if you were exactly talking to me…" Beckett sighed in embarrassment.

"Oh, yes, well…all day I've been trying to…well and I was, and when you came, I was trying to come up with a way to-"He looked up at her.

"Ask me on a date?" Beckett turned a darker shade of pink.

"Yes...I was going to this morning, but couldn't, then earlier in the infirmary, but…I couldn't." Beckett looked around nervously. "So would you like to?" Cadman smiled at him.

"Of course," Beckett smiled in revilement. "Now, do you need help up?"

"Sure, I think I broke my buttocks,"

"Is that really possible?" She grabbed his hand and helped him up and her hand remained holding his as they walked.

"Well if it is I think I did." They began to walk back upstairs where he had fallen down before.

"So what's for dinner tomorrow night, haggis?"

"Not unless you want it, it's rather repulsive really."

"I would think so."


End file.
